Crimping devices are used in procedures such as cruciate ligament stabilization where two ends of a suture (e.g., a mono-filament) are held together in a crimp tube or clamp). See U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,010 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0248063 incorporated herein by this reference.
It is important that the crimping action be precise. Too much pressure on the suture can cause breakage of the suture. If the crimp tube is not deformed enough, on the other hand, the suture can slip in the crimp tube. The above references disclose inventive crimping devices with spaced opposing crimping members. Each crimping action of these devices results in a single crimp in the crimp tube. Known devices for forming multiple crimps are large, complex, and involve multiple jaws. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,121,307; 6,152,188; and U.S. 2006/0156784 incorporated herein by this reference.